Reviewed 2026-10-10
Build a small reference pack with a clear purpose
Choose an authorised front or three-quarter view that clearly shows the character’s face, silhouette and outfit. Add another view only when it resolves a detail the first image cannot show. Avoid collecting many images with conflicting hairstyles, proportions or costume designs.
Google’s 2.1 documentation describes support for up to 14 reference images. That official capability is separate from the limit of a particular fal endpoint or this website’s live controls. Use the accepted limit shown for the selected tool, and do not assume that more references always make a brief clearer.
Separate fixed identity from the new scene
Create an identity list: face shape, hairstyle, outfit colour, emblem and key accessory. Keep it short enough to inspect. Then describe the variable scene, pose and lighting in a separate sentence.
Original reference brief: “Keep the character identity, short curved horns, teal jacket and round amber badge from reference 1. Change only the scene to a quiet station platform and the pose to holding a paper ticket. Preserve the character’s proportions. Do not add new accessories or alter the jacket emblem.”
Make one controlled change at a time
Start from an accepted image and change the background or pose before requesting a different outfit, lighting and camera angle together. After each edit, compare the output to the identity reference. A chain of individually plausible edits can drift away from the original design.
If a result fails, return to the clean reference rather than using the mistaken image as the next identity source. Keep reference numbering explicit. When one file is a lighting example, tell the model it is not a replacement for the character reference.
Review the complete series side by side
Place the images together at equal size. Compare face shape, hairline, costume, proportions and recurring accessories, then inspect hands and contact points. Judge whether the same character is recognisable without relying on a caption.
Record which image passed, what changed and what needs correction. Save the accepted reference pack with the prompt and model identifier. For images of real people, confirm permission to use their likeness and inputs before uploading; a prepared character brief does not supply that permission.
Questions before you start
Should I upload as many references as possible?
No. Use references that clarify a role and do not contradict each other. Follow the selected endpoint’s actual limits.
How do I fix a character that drifts between edits?
Return to the clean identity reference, restate the fixed details and request one change. Avoid feeding a failed edit back as the definitive identity image.